“Shark Tank” follows four to five investors, some of whom return season after season, looking for the right business to support financially. Unless the business has a ground-breaking idea, they rarely help it get off the ground. In most cases, the investors require a good track record; thus, their money allows the business owner to stay afloat, fulfill an existing order, expand to a new area, or finance research & development (R&D). Contestants have a few minutes to present their company and convince them without being dishonest. An on-screen handshake is not legally binding, and many deals fall through behind the scenes once lawyers, accountants, and sometimes Federal Trade Commission (FTC) get involved.

Revolutionary businesses are rare and usually reserved for Silicon Valley. Thus, most of the show’s success stories involved passionate entrepreneurs who improved an established product or service. Rent-A-Grandma falls into that category; Todd Colby Pliss, the founder, realized that a specific demographic, seniors, would be an ideal service provider for his business. He wanted to hire grandmothers as inexpensive caretakers, a role that was usually given to teenagers, students, neighbors, or temporary migrants. Unfortunately, when he presented the business opportunity, the “sharks” refused to bite, and he left without an investment.

However, his business didn’t suffer; the show’s popularity got people invested after the episode aired. Thus, Todd found new clients and, judging by his website, has a lot more than the initial 50 grandmothers in his employ. Here’s what happened to Rent-A-Grandma during and after “Shark Tank.”

The initial disinterest didn’t dissuade Todd

Todd didn’t get any money from the “Shark Tank” hosts when he debuted in the eighth episode of the third season. However, they praised his business acumen and celebrated his desire to involve an under-appreciated part of the population. After all, the community often neglects senior citizens, and Todd wanted to hire them to care for babies, children, and young teens. He felt that grandmothers would be better at nurturing without charging exorbitant fees, and that everyone involved would benefit. That would get him government support, too; some countries consider older people redundant if they cannot work.

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Importantly, Rent-A-Grandma didn’t have to spend money on training; grandmothers could earn money from the job that they’ve done or still do for their loved ones. Additionally, the on-call and contractor nature of Todd’s business model allowed them to be available only when they felt capable. That benefited grandmothers more than financially; they found companionship, made friends on the job, and could take breaks.

Unfortunately, while they loved the business, it wasn’t far enough along, so the investors couldn’t make enough money in a reasonable period. Still, Todd didn’t lose heart, and restructured Rent-A-Grandma after 2012; the company is active and has expanded to include the other half of the older population, grandfathers.

The investors found his business model unsuitable

Todd gave an excellent presentation and even brought a grandmother to demonstrate the concept. He stated that he got the idea during his tutoring job, when he noticed a shortage of reliable childcare providers. His clients’ parents consistently complained about having to hire untrustworthy people unless they wanted to pay top dollar. While neighbors’ children or students were cheaper, they were often unavailable, inexperienced, overly accommodating, or distracted while on the clock.

In contrast, grandmothers had decades of parenting experience, lots of free time, and reasonable compensation demands. Todd drove the point home, saying, ‘Why hire a teenage nanny when you can have a grandma?’ Sadly, the “sharks” didn’t see enough current value to pay $150,000 for 20% of Rent-A-Grandma. Their biggest worry was Todd’s plan to focus on franchising, i.e., allowing others to start a business under Rent-A-Grandma’s name and business model for a fee. While that would let Todd’s company expand across the US, it could also weaken the profits.

Even worse, Robert Herjavec inquired about the grandmothers’ hourly wages, which were between $14 and $20. That was still serious cash since the minimum wage in Los Angeles, California, was $8 an hour between 2008 and 2014. However, franchising the business meant that the “sharks” would wait longer for a return on their money and start raking in cash, without hundreds of thousands of clients and contractors. Most importantly, owning one-fifth or one-fourth of the company meant that they wouldn’t have a decision-making percentage in the business. Therefore, the investors would, at best, be on the board of directors, and without veto power against what they considered poor decisions.

Kevin considered investing

Some of this TV show’s investors are willing to part with their money if they receive a nearly fail-safe deal. Kevin O’Leary and Mark Cuban saw potential in the business and asked the most questions after Robert, Barbara Corcoran, and Daymond John pulled out of investing. Mark eventually dropped out, wanting to avoid his name being attached to a business focused on seniors. Kevin was inquiring about the business model and the relatively low sales of only $25,000 the previous year. He liked that grandmothers sign a 90-day deal, reducing the inconvenience when one gets sick or, unfortunately, passes away.

After hearing the response, Kevin seemed to mull it over and was coming up with a “Mr. Wonderful deal” that he gives to desperate business owners. That usually indicated that he would want a 50%, if not 51%, i.e., the controlling share of the company, frequently without paying more than the asking price. He is also known to give money loans with incredibly high-interest rates, or request a percentage of the royalties to accelerate his money return. Unfortunately, Kevin couldn’t come up with a proposal that he was comfortable with, and Todd left the “Shark Tank” studio without money in his pocket.

Todd shifted his business priorities

Todd listened to the advice and rarely mentioned franchising after 2012. Instead, he doubled down on his original business model with a twist, and to signify this change, he renamed his business from Rent-A-Grandma to Rent A Grandma. His approach changed because he realized that he was thinking too small. Instead of looking for grandmothers in the Los Angeles area, then signing them up for a three-month-long contract, Todd was inspired by websites such as Craigslist.com and Angie’s List, now known as Angi. Therefore, he hired a web developer, Nicholas “Nick” Howe, at nicholashowe.com, to build him a WordPress website at www.rentagrandma.com.

Using a website solved two primary problems. First, Todd could now refer grandmothers to his website and get them to sign up for a carer account instead of handling their details himself. Second, his content management system (CMS) made it easy for grandmothers to see client requests and bid on jobs. In contrast, clients could see and book grandmother’s profiles online without contacting Todd. Most importantly, the advanced search by country and postal code meant that people across the globe could use his service.

Some previous investigations into the business suggest that he got rid of charging grandmothers 15% of every job in favor of a one-time $25 flat service fee. That was an excellent solution for a global business; taking a cut from local transactions would be a tax-filing nightmare. Handling conversion rates and payment processing would be a challenge, too. Additionally, if things were too complicated or expensive, people outside the country could report that their search was unsuccessful, then pay a grandmother outside the platform.

Rent A Grandma expanded its focus

After participating in “Shark Tank,” Todd realized his caregiving idea was too niche. Therefore, he increased the area of expertise; people could hire a tutor, a nanny, a chef, or a pet sitter. Moreover, they may require a grandmother for companionship, as a personal assistant, party attendee, or caregiver to a fellow elder or a special needs child.

Similarly, Todd decided to bring attention to grandmothers’ skills and patience. Therefore, he started a Merchandise page, where the business sells t-shirts with their logo and those with a “Grandmas Matter!” print. Moreover, he sourced products such as chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and oatmeal raisin cookies. That helped grandmas whose baking skills exceeded their caregiving ability to make some money. Additionally, some people never tasted their grandma’s cuisine, allowing them to fulfill their lifelong dream.

Happy 4th to all! pic.twitter.com/sMZMMDAuiL

— The Grandma (@rentagrandmacom) July 4, 2019

People can request grandmothers on mobile devices

While the website is mobile-friendly, Rent A Grandma took things further by releasing an eponymous iOS application on the Apple App Store distribution platform. However, the application is unavailable in 2023, likely because it did not receive an iOS 16 update or the code had problems. Additionally, Todd created two social media profiles, on Twitter and Facebook, under the handle @rentagrandmacom, and still uses a business e-mail, [email protected], for non-tech-savvy users, including grandmothers.

Rent A Grandma has a sister company

Todd realized that other adjustments would allow him to extend his reach without developing brand-new technology or reinventing the wheel. Therefore, he started a second company, Rent a Grandpa, with an accompanying website, rentagrandpa.com. Although it has the same tagline, with ‘grandpa’ replacing ‘grandma,’ it offers activities that men do more often. Therefore, clients can request various handyman services such as dealing with furniture, electricity, painting, and lawn mowing. Moreover, they can hire grandfathers who are automotive specialists, which is useful whenever a mechanic’s help is unnecessary or pricey.

Rent a Grandpa, a new company with a rising list of services, lacks pages such as FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), Merchandise, and About Us. However, it added a star-based rating system for registered grandpas and did not charge grandfathers fees. However, it likely takes a percentage from their wages, as Rent-a-Grandma did, and is thus limited to US territory.

Todd did not need the “sharks”

While Todd thought pumping cash into his business early on would solve all his problems, the advice he received on set was valid. He needed more time to iron out all the kinks in his business plan, primarily restricting the company to the US and not using a website and a mobile app to streamline hiring, paying, and reviewing grandmothers.

Todd accepted criticism and examined his competitors, then applied excellent ideas, such as making Rent a Grandma available globally, on mobile and desktop devices, and via the website, social media, and e-mail. After boosting the number of services, including letting grandmothers sell baked goods, he included grandfathers through his second company, Rent a Grandpa. That showed his business acumen; hence both companies are growing. Unfortunately, Todd may be stretched too thin; both websites need an SSL certificate, which boosts their security and instills trust, and the promoted Phone application is inaccessible. While those oversights hurt his brand’s reputation, they are relatively inexpensive and easy to fix, which will no doubt happen soon!

Bethany Stout embarked on her rocky weight-loss journey in the eighth season of “My 600-lb Life.” Viewers may remember how much she depended on her daughters daily, including maintaining proper hygiene. After admitting that she felt like a failure, Bethany refused to dwell on negative thoughts, and signed up for the weight loss program led by Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, aka Dr. Now, the show’s surgeon. He admits patients of all obese sizes, but the TV show films people who weigh around 600lbs or 272kgs. However, that isn’t always the case; some, such as James King, weighed about 800lbs or over 360kgs when they debuted.

After reviewing and accepting her application to become a patient, Dr. Now invited Bethany to his Houston, Texas, clinic. He put her on his standard workout regimen and 1,200-calorie diet plan, clarifying that losing weight is a prerequisite for his surgical operation, indicating the commitmernt necessary to achieve the objective. She lost over 100lbs or 45kgs, which was enough for the doctor to perform a bariatric operation, but sadly regained some weight before leaving the program. Thankfully, the effort still flipped a switch, and Bethany became much healthier and slimmer after her last appearance in the TV show.

She bounced back after a temporary failure

When viewers met Bethany, she was down on her luck and desperately needed help. However, it was evident that she cared about the people around her – that isn’t always the case with the show’s participants, who expect others to enable their lousy habits, bathe them, and administer medicine; in short, be their caretakers. Bethany immediately admitted that not being a contributing family member bothered her.

However, the weight loss program helped her lose a drastic amount of weight, and even with a setback at the end of her episode, she left weighing around 500lbs or 225kgs. Bethany pulled herself by her bootstraps and dropped 150lbs or 68kgs by mid-2021. Moreover, she occasionally updated and inspired her Instagram and Facebook fans, and blogged about her experience on her website, www.BariatricMama.com. Unfortunately, she hasn’t been active online since March 2022, hence, little is known about her life nowadays.

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Her credentials shocked everyone

Neither her weight nor her story, featured in the “Bethany’s Story” episode aired on 15 January 2020, attracted much attention. Many contestants were well over the 607lbs or 275kgs that the scale showed when Bethany stepped on it. Similarly, most patients depended on their family members, and felt that they weren’t giving back enough. Moreover, she suffered from food addiction, the primary source of morbidly obese patients’ woes.

However, it quickly became apparent that Bethany had practical and theoretical knowledge to change her situation, as she actually specialized in the illness that caused her weight to spiral. Bethany revealed that she previously worked as an addiction counselor, and held a master’s degree in counseling psychology, worked in the medical industry. Luckily, it seemed like people, including her family members, saw the good side; they thought that Bethany only needed a little push and a proper diet and exercise plan to apply her understanding of psychology.

She criticized the show’s portrayal of her

Bethany spent eight months following Dr. Now’s program, and her weight went down to 496lbs or 225kgs at the end. Although she regained some of it afterwards, and her chances of slimming down were low, she didn’t give up. While Bethany credited the show and the doctor for changing her life, she ultimately disliked how the show’s editing depicted her.

She told her Facebook fans not to believe everything they saw on TV in March 2021 via Facebook, and explained that a 90-minute episode could not show the real story. That’s why Bethany quit the show, cut ties with Dr. Now, and embraced independence. It worked; she reported a difference in how she looked and felt in 2020, a year after the filming ended, and shortly after her episode aired.

The change was evident a year later

Fans were hungry for more information about her progress, prompting Bethany to write, ‘Hey, it’s me! I will update here when I can’ on her public Facebook page – @bethanystout600. Her first noteworthy post was from March 2021, and under the explanation for her departure, she attached her picture. It showed Bethany wearing a t-shirt and jeans, proudly writing that she went from US size 38 jeans to US size 18, and was wearing her husband’s medium-size t-shirt. She added that her family members are in healthy and loving life since she’s in good shape and more physically active.

Bethany provided some clues to her success

Bethany didn’t disclose her food and exercise regimen after Dr. Now’s prescribed 1,200-calorie diet and moderate workouts. Luckily, she wanted to do her part to indirectly inspire her social media followers, and post about solutions to her food addiction. Motivational quotes and her Christian religion were a driving force, telling her followers that ‘struggling doesn’t mean that they are failing.’ Also, she spent every evening swimming, and reported feeling amazing about reaching her goals and becoming stronger.

However, the key was her weight loss wish list. She penned over 20 things that she couldn’t do when weighing over 500lbs or 230kgs. Some included going bowling with family, snorkeling, riding a jet ski, and taking a yoga class. Thus, she crossed activities off her list when she got to do them. That let her reward herself with something other than food, and she reported feeling a dopamine rush since she saw each activity as a checkpoint on her journey. Additionally, she colored her hair pink in 2020 to celebrate the first anniversary of her operation. She also got a colorful tattoo of a semi-colon the next year to celebrate her physical and mental progress.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CF0k7NMBwce/?hl=en

She wanted a skin removal operation

Bethany knew that shedding weight likely wouldn’t satisfy her; the excess skin on her torso and limbs bothered her, and inhibited her from reaching her weight goal. Therefore, on top of her work in healthcare, she started a Facebook group, Bethany’s Crochet Corner, on 11 November 2020. That allowed her to earn extra money toward her skin removal surgical operation from followers who loved her on-screen persona and crocheting skills. Unfortunately, she stopped replying in 2021, but her followers took it upon themselves to keep her passion alive by posting exciting designs.

Bethany changed her last name and occupation

Bethany mentioned ‘her man’ and took selfies with an unnamed gentleman on social media, but rarely discussed her romantic life. However, the name of her private Facebook profile, which still has “bethany.stout” as part of the URL, became Bethany Brotherton in 2023. That could mean that she married whomever she dated, or took back her maiden name. Neither option makes sense from an outsider’s perspective, however; her profile lists her as having a relationship with a man named Douglas Vreeland.

Moreover, she recently started working outside the medical industry, becoming an administrative office assistant at Brandley Pest Control on 14 December 2022, working in scheduling, sales, and customer service. In early 2023, she took on a new position as an office manager at Express Services based in Oklahoma City.

Her public profiles were active until 2022

Though she posted sporadically, her fans were disappointed when Bethany stopped posting on her Facebook page, Bethany Stout My 600 Pound Life, in March 2022. She may have become tired of the negativity; she consistently had to ban haters and trolls from commenting since 2020. Moreover, Bethany asked them not to come at her with their hate, to get a life, find positivity somewhere, and mind their business.

Similarly, she last uploaded a picture to her Instagram account, @bethanystout600lblife, in July 2021 and abandoned her TikTok account, @bstout1980, at one point. Her blog, BariatricMama.com, which she registered on 7 January 2020 and last updated in 2021, has no content, even though she reserved the domain name until 6 January 2025.

Bethany is focused on her family

Although she never mentioned numbers, Bethany was evidently approaching her goal weight in her last full-body social media update, a mirror selfie of her wearing a t-shirt, plaid shirt, and jeans. She said that she loved life and hated taking pictures, but couldn’t help herself when she felt terrific. Bethany stated that she had ‘over 100lbs or 45kgs to lose’ when her jeans were US size 22 in 2021 and most recently reported being at size 18. Judging by the experiences of MyFitnessPal.com platform members, Bethany weighed between 220lbs or 100kgs and 290lbs or about 130kgs at size 18.

With that said, Bethany abandoned her plans to leverage her TV show fame, and instead of deleting them, she stopped using her public Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok accounts and her blog. However, her friends and family, her biggest support, and some lucky fans can cheer her on as long on her private Facebook profile, as they are friends. Although she hasn’t posted about them since 2020, her four daughters motivate her daily; being there to see them grow up was one of the main reasons Bethany contacted Dr. Now.

Kalani Faagata and Asuelu Pulaa graced the TV screen in the sixth season of “90 Day Fiance” in 2018, thereupon becoming one of the most unique couples ever to have been featured in the series, owing to their peculiar ethnicities and history together. Naturally, the fans took great interest in how their love story was going to play out.

Although they both come from the same culture, Kalani and Asuelu were raised in very different circumstances, which definitely made for some interesting television. It also came with problems, however, as their relationship started running into various bumps along its way throughout the filming.

Five years later, it’s curious to see how things played out for the two, as new adventures and old grudges culminate into a slow crawl that begins to pale in comparison with what they’ve achieved together – two little boys. The question is whether the children are growing up with both their parents at home, or is the custody now shared, and the differences irreconcilable.

Finding love in paradise

In essence, Kalani and Asuelu are both Samoan, except her family assimilated into US culture decades ago, meaning she can’t even speak the native language. This is easily inferred from Kalani’s name, which means ‘the sky’ in Samoan, while her surname (Faagata) is a mixture of Samoan words for identification (with something), ‘fa’a,’ and strong, ‘gata.’ Asuelu’s name has no specific meaning, but his surname (Pulaa) derives from the Samoan word for rain, ‘pula.’

Faagata was quite possibly exploring her roots at the time when she arrived in Samoa for an exotic vacation, also taking the time to learn about the culture and language of the people of her birth country. Unbeknownst back then, she would also end up finding the man to father her children, and with whom to ascend into stardom.

Asuelu was born in Samoa in 1995, having lived his entire life on the island, working various odd jobs to maintain sustenance for himself and his loved ones. The Pulaa family hails from the not-so-wealthy village of Leone, on the southwestern edge of Samoa’s Tutuila Island, consisting of Asuelu, his sister Tammy, their mother Lesina, and their father who chose to stay anonymous.

Although Tammy is also of working age, most of the financial responsibility fell on Asuelu, whose duty, according to Samoan culture, was to provide for those who raised him. That task proved to be quite difficult in the beginning, with Asuelu struggling on a daily basis to put food on the table. His luck took a turn for the better when he was finally offered employment as an activities director at one of the high-profile Samoan resorts.

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This meant that Pulaa was in charge of the various goings-on that serve to culturally enrich the resort goers, as well as entertain them and give them something to plan their day around. He was thus also co-ordinating several groups of performers who had regular shows on the premises, creating daily schedules for their acts.

Kalani ran into Asuelu by accident on a busy day at the resort, and due to her ethnicity creating a recognizable Samoan appearance, he didn’t think she was an actual tourist. Raised in Orange County, California USA, Faagata knew only a few words of Samoan and felt lost at the time. Fortunately, Asuelu was there to assist every step of the way, which at first was definitely overbearing.

Mind under matter

While recounting the time they met, Kalani mentioned the Samoan native spending so much time in her vicinity that she almost believed he was stalking her. Asuelu’s clearly shown eagerness made her queasy about the whole thing at first, but that feeling quickly changed throughout the few times she saw him shirtless.

Their chemistry for one another started to show as Asuelu took it upon himself to introduce the attractive foreigner to her origins, taking the time out of his busy day to show her around. It wasn’t long before they both started believing that their meeting was in no way a coincidence, as each of them turned out to be what the other had been looking for.

The two were already an established couple before it was time for Kalani to return to the US, but there were some things left to do before the next serious step. Faagata was yet to show her true willingness to invest in the relationship, as the religion she was born into had certain rules that prevented her from fully enjoying Pulaa’s company.

Namely, Mormonism’s teachings imply that engaging in any sexual acts before marriage is improper and unclean. This restriction often causes its adherents to stagnate in their relationships until their partners eventually give up on them, as the prospect of marrying someone before even one intimate night is no longer attractive to most of the modern western world.

Their relationship was at first impeded by Kalani’s outdated beliefs, and she refused to do anything with Asuelu that would be frowned upon according to her faith. This impedance put a temporary pause on their relationship, and Faagata went back home for the time being. Back then, it was still a question whether their emotions would remain for one another.

However, the next time Kalani went to Samoa, she had made the decision that no holy book will get in the way of her love life, and the two shared in their long-anticipated night of passion soon upon her arrival. In spite of not yet being married, the two did plan on having children, having tried for one as soon as they got around to being properly intimate.

They became engaged not long after Faagata’s second vacation, at which point Asuelu received the K-1 visa, reserved only for fiancés of US residents, under the condition that they marry within 90 days.

Fortunately for the two, that visa is also the requirement for being featured in TLC’s one-of-a-kind reality TV series “90 Day Fiancé,” whose financial incentive and media coverage proved to be quite welcome to both of the future spouses. They readily agreed to participate in the filming, believing that only pure joy and excitement lay ahead. However, time would prove their prediction far from accurate.

Discovering struggle in the real world

The pink veil of heightened emotions began to drop from Asuelu and Kalani’s eyes as time went by, revealing that there were more differences between them than was initially apparent. For example, Kalani had no obligations towards her family, at least in terms of monetary support. Asuelu, meanwhile, had to follow the unwritten rule of providing for his aging parents and sister, who also contributed, albeit in lesser part.

This lifelong duty that Asuelu seemingly just accepted without so much as a thought began to clash with his responsibilities as a husband and father, as his part-time income had to be split between his US and Samoa families. Kalani herself had to stay at home, making him the only provider for her and the two boys.

As the Pulaas pressed harder and harder for what they believed was their piece of the pie by blood relations, more and more awkward situations began to arise during family meetings, with no love whatsoever for the other side.

#90DayFiance couple Asuelu Pulaa & Kalani Faagata reportedly split; Asuelu reveals he’s single on social media: https://t.co/wrtQgc5ylT pic.twitter.com/TvgaoB3uHP

— The Ashley (@TheAshleysRR) June 14, 2022

Kalani found it ridiculous that Asuelu’s family only ever talked about money, making request after request to her as the accountant of the family. They said they needed cows and other farm animals, as well as various equipment and resources. Faagata didn’t care to even consider most of these pleas, as their costs were too great to fund with just one part-time salary. She had herself and her own children to think about, and that became all the more apparent as time went by.

That said, the claim that his family only needed him for money was a very difficult point to drive home with Asuelu, as he understandably saw those back home in a much more positive light. He also had a strong altruistic side that sought to believe the best in people, so it would take a lot more convincing than that to shift his perspective.

Tight bonds

Nowhere is Asuelu’s unwavering nostalgia and family loyalty more apparent than in one of the strangest dates ever to have occurred in the series, deemed controversial not for what was said or done, but where.

Pulaa was informed by his wife that they simply weren’t spending enough time together, what with two kids running around and him being out of home for work throughout most of the day. She was understandably feeling alone in the marriage, spending all of her time taking care of two little boys.

Aside from being a mother, Kalani was still a young and energetic woman who wanted new experiences, missing the life she used to have at the time when they first met, with exotic vacations and free time for partying, shopping, and simply just hanging out.

Asuelu decided to make it up to Kalani by sending the children to her parents for the night, during which time they would embark on another romantic adventure, s they used to before the many obligations became their day-to-day.

He promised her a romantic date and apologized for not giving her more time, which made Faagata very excited, especially when she received a fresh bouquet and a box of fine chocolates. She asked where they were going, but Asuelu felt it better to keep her in suspense the whole way there.

To put it mildly, the unsuspecting wife found his axe throwing date an unremarkable idea for a husband-and-wife activity. That said, she did still appreciate the fact that he acknowledged her needs and at least made an attempt to alleviate her feeling of loneliness and neglect in the marriage.

Kalani made it known that she valued his effort, but that the place could’ve been far more appropriate for its purpose. To her surprise, right after having heard at least some form of approval for what he did, Asuelu took the opportunity to ask her a big favor – going back to Samoa for a while, and spending a considerable amount of money doing so.

Facing the truth

It wasn’t until Asuelu’s mother abruptly left the table during a family dinner that he began to realize his wallet might be the only value he holds in the eyes of those back home. This was preceded by a brief back and forth, during which Lesina and Tammy insisted that he must send funds to Samoa regardless of his other obligations.

Lesina was adamant that Kalani’s wealthy parents could afford all of the children’s expenses and keep the family afloat in the US, but that there was no one taking care of the Samoan side. Tammy reinforced her point by stating that Asuelu had no excuse for avoiding his responsibilities as a son.

Faagata then asked Tammy whether she sent any money herself, and the sister avoided the question altogether, replying that it wasn’t any of her business. Asuelu was torn between his flesh and blood on one side, and the same on the other. He was understandably crippled in making a choice, and stuck to primarily providing for his sons.

It became apparent at the end of the ordeal that Asuelu was beginning to see the way his Samoan family truly thought of him, and from that moment on, he was going to dedicate himself to Kalani and the sons fully. However, the dissatisfaction of not having his family’s support wasn’t going to stay buried, and it began to seep into the marriage.

He became increasingly more disappointed and grouchier over the following months, finding flaws in almost anything related to Kalani. Her mother didn’t appreciate this attitude at all, bringing them to odds soon thereafter. Having the relationship soured with both sides, Asuelu ultimately began living on his own more and more, leaving the fans uncertain of the family’s fate after their presence in the series ended.

Old grudges, new beginnings

The question of whether Asuelu and Kalani are still married can’t be answered straightforwardly as of mid-2023, since neither of the two made an effort to clarify their current marital status, while at the same time also keeping any family drama out of the public eye. The many fans’ pleas for clarification have also gone unanswered by both parties, which is predicted to remain the norm.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp1U0MarcDV/

That said, there are ways of forming at least a plausible assumption about what might’ve occurred in the famous marriage, as the clues are strewn all over the young parents’ social media. For example, Asuelu’s Instagram page lends great credence to the idea that he hasn’t been spending any time with Kalani, but lots of it with his sons.

Seeing as little Oliver and Kennedy also live with their mother, as evidenced by her vlog from 18 April 2023, it’s reasonable to assume that the two must often make contact with each other for the sake of accessing the children. This means that, in spite of consistently staying in touch, Kalani and Asuelu don’t post each other on their social media whatsoever, which implies that they might’ve amicably parted ways.